Striving for Femininity--God's Way

This is the hardest chapter that I have encountered so far. Forgive me for the huge delay in posting something new. God has been dealing with me mightily in all of this.

Submission is not everyone's favorite topic. I will be the first to admit that I am an independent, strong-minded (and often willed) young woman. The idea of submitting to a man has never been something that I have ever viewed very favorably either. But somewhere along the line, the world has done us wrong, ladies. All of our lives, we have been filled with discontentment toward the role that God has designed for us. Somewhere along the line, we have become conformed to the world's definition of femininity, rather than being transformed into God's. We mourn in being feminine, when we should rejoice in the unique way God has created us to serve His purposes. There is so much freedom and beauty to be found in living according this role. The proof lies in scripture alone; I cannot pretend to be an expert on marriage.

I think that the biggest problem that we have in accepting this God-given role is that culture tells us that doing so: 1) lessens our value and 2) puts a sign on our foreheads that reads 'DOORMAT'. But this is so far from God's truth!

As the writer of the book states:

"Centuries of human history testify how this God-given truth has become twisted into inappropriate ideas and labels, which societal structures have parlayed into extreme examples of abuse and subjugation." (The Resolution for Women). 

It is true that society, in many ways, has placed less value on women. But why are buying into society's lies, when we have God's truth?!?

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27, ESV).

"And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good."            (Genesis 1:31, ESV) 

Just like man, women were created in God's image. And just like man, we were called "very good" by our Creator! What more assurance do we need of our worth? From the beginning God placed importance on women. Not only are we "very good" in his eyes, but we are necessary. God created us as helpers to men. We bring a unique set of skills into the relationship, that compliments our mate's. This was God's design.

Enter The Fall.

"I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Genesis 3:16)

This verse is probably one of the most misused in the entire Bible. Men have used it for centuries as an excuse to devalue women and use them as doormats. What people have failed to realize is that this is part of the CURSE and not the PLAN. The leadership role of the husband and the complementary relationship between husband and wife that were ordained by God before the fall have been damaged and distorted by sin. The ongoing result of the original sin of rebelling against God will also have disastrous consequences on their relationship. First, Eve will give in to her desires to oppose Adam and to attempt to assert leadership over him. This is a reversal of what God intended. Then Adam will also abandon his God-given role of leading, guarding, and caring for his wife and instead follow his own sinful desire to "rule" over his wife". This is a struggle that continues today. Somehow, even as Christians, we continue to live according to the CURSE instead of the PLAN, in spite of what freedom Christ gave us on the cross. Not only did He free us from our personal sin, His work on the cross freed man to form relationships the way in which God intended.

God calls us to not be conformed any longer the to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:1-2). Sometimes, in matter such as these, we choose to only apply scripture to the areas in which we feel like, lightly treading over others. We like to say: "We shouldn't conform by the way we dress, talk, or what we fill our minds with", and ignore other parts, thus choosing to live according to the Curse.

Women of God, I believe that it is high time that we start living according to the Plan!

{More to come}

As I wait,
Alicia
Psalm 138:8